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John Legend: There is a lot of darkness in the world

And the singer believes it’s only going to get worse

John Legend is preparing to release his latest studio album, Darkness and Light, in early December. The star says this curious title derived from the amount of “pain and conflict” that is present in the world, but our constant drive to find light tends to compliment the darker side.

He explained in the new issue of Jocks&Nerds magazine: “While ‘Darkness and Light’ is the name of one of the songs, those words kept coming back to me. There’s a lot of darkness in the world, pain and conflict. But the album also represents the desire to find light, optimism, love and joy in the midst of all that.”

And the artist says his inspiration to sing about “love in a broader sense” comes from icons like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers.

He shared: “I look to artists like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers for inspiration more than any other artists. I consider myself to be someone who is part of a legacy, but doing it in my own way.

They sang about love and relationships in a really beautiful, sensual way, but they also sang about love in a broader sense: love for mankind, love for justice and love for peace.”

Meanwhile, John – who has a young daughter with wife Chrissy Teigen – believes that a lot of darkness will surface once President Barack Obama steps down and Donald Trump finally takes over the White House.

“I think people are already missing the way they (Barack and Michelle) conducted themselves in office. Particularly when you compare them, especially with Trump and how tawdry so much of the campaign has been. I think people are appreciating how scandal-free [Obama’s] Presidency has been and, like I say, appreciating him more and more,” he explained.